The Night Regina Let Emma In
by edean13
Summary: An overzealous, completely devoted, in love Emma barges her way into a rather lenient Mayor Mills' house and makes her watch a movie with her… and Regina finally lets her in. A long-ish one-shot.


**AN: Alright. This is my first OUaT fic. Regina and Emma are both a little AU. I hope it's up to par… And there are major spoilers for **_**Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Cafe)—**_**both the novel and film… Enjoy.**

"MARY MARGARET!" Emma called in a muffled huff from her bedroom. She had already dug through the box of shit she didn't know what to do with and had rummaged through all the drawers of the dresser Mary Margaret let her use. Now, she was on the floor looking under her bed, "Mary Margaret!" She called again.

"Yes Emma?"

Mary Margaret's voice was a lot closer than Emma expected. She shot up onto her knees, blonde curls flying every which way before settling, "Have you seen—?" Emma started, but stopped talking and got up and pushed passed the pixie-haired brunette.

Mary Margaret's eyes followed her roommate/alleged daughter as she made her way into the living room, "Have I seen…?" She asked with expectant brows.

Emma grabbed the DVD from the rack and hugged it, "Never mind." The way she said it would have given Emily Litella a run for her money. She shook it off, "Found it…" She looked up from the DVD case to her friend, "You're busy tonight, right?"

"Well…" Mary Margaret looked down and kicked the ground shyly, "I mean, David was going to come over in a little bit." She looked back up concerned, "But Emma, if you want the living room or need me for some reason I can cancel—"

"YOU'RE busy tonight, right?" Emma interrupted and said it in a way that told the brunette she wanted her to be busy tonight.

Mary Margaret looked at her perplexed, "Wha—? OH!" She began smirking, "Yes Emma. I am very busy tonight and I need the apartment. I need you to go find something else to do." She gave Emma a wink and the 'OK' sign.

Emma stared at her blankly, "You're horrible at this, you know that?" She asked.

Mary Margaret scrunched her face and was going to defend herself, but ultimately deflated, "Yeah, I am…"

"Don't worry." Emma said as she walked over to her, "You'll get better while I'm around." She put her hand on Mary Margaret's upper arm in reassurance, "Soon you'll be able to catch my drift and tell me blank faced that you can't have me around so that I can then go woo the mayor and you can woo your newly divorced boyfriend." She squeezed the shorter woman's arm then walked back to her room.

Mary Margaret followed her, "What are you going to do?" She asked as Emma began changing… something she learned very quickly about Emma Swan was that the girl wasn't modest in the least… this was nothing new to her.

"Well… I've told her about a hundred different ways how I feel about her. I know she feels the same way, but she's shot me down every time." Emma started as she put on deodorant and went to her closet for the shirts she was planning to wear…the grey snap up with the black and silver zipper pockets that she wore with her thin green long sleeved shirt. Regina had told her multiple times that she looked horrid in it, which told her just how much she actually liked the outfit. She smirked as she took them from their hangers, "And tonight I'm bringing out the big guns…" She threw the shirts on, and pointed to the DVD on her bed as she tucked them into her jeans, "Tonight she's gonna come up with a fresh answer all because of that movie."

"Fried Green Tomatoes?" Mary Margaret looked unimpressed.

"Don't give me that look Mary Margaret." Emma scolded, "I'll have you know that this movie has worked better for me than a nose job and a wedding ring worked for Adam Sandler in _Just Go With It_…and he got Jen Aniston at the end of that movie."

Mary Margaret's eyebrows rose slightly, "Why does it work so well?"

"Because…" Emma shrugged, deciding not to tell her the real answer, "It's not just the movie, it's the whole presentation of…"

"Okay, then what do you do? How are you so confident that a trick you've pulled countless times will work? Why haven't you brought this movie to her place before?"

"I'm not gonna tell you the answer to the first one 'cause there are just things I'm not gonna share with my alleged mother...it could scar you." Mary Margaret laughed, "As for the second question…it's the only thing I have left…and I only did it twice before. I thought I was in love with them too… But I don't think now," She breathed an even, calming breath, "I know I am. And I didn't think it would take the power of Ruth and Idgie to get Regina to see the light, but like I said before…out of options." Emma grabbed the movie and put it in her mouth as she shrugged on her black leather jacket.

She and Mary Margaret walked from her room, "Well good luck tonight…" Mary Margaret spoke in a quiet, reassuring tone.

Emma turned around with a twinkle in her eye as she made it to the door. She took the movie from her mouth, "I don't need luck, Mary Margaret." She winked confidently then grabbed her keys and walked out of the apartment.

Emma decided to bide her time and walked to the mansion. She didn't want to excite Henry before he was supposed to be in bed… that would just piss her ladylove off. She was just rounding the mansion when her phone began ringing.

"Why Mayor Mills, I was just thinking about you." She said as she stopped walking and turned, knowing exactly what part of the house she was at. She turned and faced Regina's bedroom. She could see the outline of the brown-eyed beauty that had her heart and refused to acknowledge it taking off her heels.

She could hear the smirk in Regina's voice, "I have no doubt, Sherriff."

"I was actually just on my way to your house to surprise you." Emma couldn't help the smile on her face. "Thought we could watch a movie tonight."

"You are not on your way over here." Regina said in disbelief.

"Oh really? Look outside your window, I'm on the sidewalk freezing my ass off, movie in hand!" She saw the outline pause, stand up straight and walk to the window.

She pulled the curtains away slightly, "Well look at that. I got me a peeping Penelope."

"Peeping Penelope? You couldn't come up with anything better than that? You're wittier in your sleep." Emma said sarcastically.

"I apologize, Sherriff, it's not every night I have a stalker standing outside my bedroom window." Regina gave as good as she got.

"Oh come on Regina, you know I'm not a stalker. Now come downstairs, let me in and watch a movie with me!" Emma ordered.

"Are you commanding me to do som—"

"Look, we can either argue about it a little more in which, I freeze my ass off and you get pissed cause my body's cold… Or, you can walk downstairs like we both know you're going to, you can let me in now and we can watch the best movie ever… you know, in my blue collar, poorly educated, never gonna amount to anything opinion…"

"I never said you'd never amount to anything. I said you had never amounted to anything… There's a difference." Regina gave her a pointed look before she turned from the window and walked to her bedroom door.

"Is there really?" Emma had a smirk on her face when Regina opened the door.

"Yes." She started as she crossed her arms, "The latter gives hope, the former doesn't."

Emma stepped into the house and into Regina's personal bubble, "And you have hope for me? Aww, Regina, that is so sweet." Emma said boldly and acted even more so as she took Regina's chin between her thumb and forefinger and held it until Regina looked her in the eyes. She smirked and winked at her as she pulled away and started walking down the hall to the living room, "You got that popcorn we usually eat?" She asked like nothing out of the ordinary—their ordinary just happened.

"You think I'm going to make you popcorn after that entrance?" Regina crossed her arms. She was already a little riled. Emma was going to have tonight, "What are you even doing here anyways? What if I don't want to watch whatever trash it is you're putting in."

"Woah!" Emma pointed at her in warning, "First of all…how dare you call this movie trash! It was nominated for two Oscars." Regina raised her brows impressed, "That's right Darling; I've done my homework. I know what kind of movies you watch and what kind you don't." She continued setting the TV and DVD player up, "The reason I'm here is because it's date night, where else would I be? Especially considering Mary Margaret and David are at the apartment tonight and well… you know… you're here…and our son is too."

"My son."

"Our." Emma gave her a look, "Son." She walked over to her and grabbed her by the hand before walking to the kitchen, "Now, will you just point to the amazing popcorn so I can have some or are you really gonna be that much of a bitch after I walked all the way over here?"

Regina looked at her, "Excuse me? How dare you call me a bitch!"

"You won't even make me popcorn!" She gave the brunette a pointed look.

"You barged into my house!"

"You gave me no other choice!...and I didn't barge you let me in." Emma said jokingly, then sobered completely, "Just like you should let me in here," Emma boldly went where no one had dared to go and put her hand on Regina's chest over her heart, "But you won't…which brings us back full circle to I had no other choice and you have yet to point me to the popcorn."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Please… Like I'm going to let_ you_ cook in _my_ kitchen…even if it is just popcorn. You'll burn the place down. Go sit down; I'll make you your precious popcorn." Regina pushed her out of the kitchen and back to the living room.

Emma grinned wide and turned back to the brunette, "Thanks." She said softly as she leaned in and kissed her cheek then darted away before Regina could comment.

She went back to setting up the TV and the surround sound…and checking the surround sound to make sure it wouldn't wake Henry before picking up her beloved _Fried Green Tomatoes_ and putting it in.

Regina walked back into the living room, bowl of popcorn in hand by the time Emma was settling into the couch. The curly blonde gave Regina the remote in exchange for the food. The brunette eyed the younger woman suspiciously as she gently took the remote from her hand. She didn't do anything with it.

"You know…" Emma swallowed her first of many large mouthfuls of popcorn, "You can fast forward…maybe hit the 'menu' button..start the movie."

"I know." Regina gave her a playful glare, "I am reminded of it every time you come over and watch a movie with me."

Emma laughed and turned to the previews from forever ago. She had finished the popcorn before Regina even hit play and put the bowl on the coffee table. She wiped her mouth then wiped her hands on her jeans. She turned and looked at Regina, "Hey." She said getting the brunette's attention. She patted her legs, telling the other woman to put her feet up.

Regina gave her a sharp look, "Sherriff Swa—"

"Just! Will you please…?" Emma interrupted.

Regina knew what would come of this if she put her feet up. Emma would rub her legs for a while and then, somehow, like she always did, she would weasel her way behind her and hold her for most of the movie. As the menu popped up and she heard the music, she knew the movie instantly. She immediately brought her feet up. This was a sad movie, and she'd been feeling… emotions lately. She was going to want to be held. As soon as her feet were in Emma's lap, she pushed play, and as soon as she pushed play, Emma began rubbing and tracing designs up and down her legs like she always did. And they settled into the movie like they always did.

_BUDDY, LOOK OUT!_

Regina looked over to Emma and kicked her, "Is this your idea of romance, Sherriff Swan? Death and sadness?"

"Hey lady, whatever I can do to make you call this romance, 'cause romance equals date. And date equals dating. And dating equals relationship, and of course, relationship is what I've been trying to get you to say yes to since the beginning…" Emma smirked, "Besides darling, it gets better. Watch Evelyn dress up in cellophane."

Regina gives her a light-hearted glare.

"Regina…" Emma leaned over a little bit, still propped up by the cushiness of the couch cushion, "You think you'd wear cellophane for me sometime?"

Regina paused the movie and turned to Emma, "Oh my dear Sherriff Swan, your hopes are both high and diluted tonight." The brunette pulled her feet from Emma and sat up, leaning against the arm of the couch still, "Just what do you think was going to happen tonight? You were going to barge your way in my house and into my heart?"

"In a word… Yeah." Emma looked at her, "You're so close to letting me in Regina; don't think I don't see that. Stop closing the holes I've made and let make one big enough for just me to enter… I'm a tiny woman, it won't take much…"

"You're ridiculous is what you are." Regina crossed her feet at her ankles and tried to kick Emma's wandering hand.

Emma easily got Regina to stop kicking her when she started drawing small patterns around her ankles and lower leg. She leaned down a little more to get closer to Regina, "I'm in love is what I am." She paused to let the words really sink in to the brunette's mind, "I have never lied to you when I told you that, why are you just now reacting?"

"It's just starting to feel real…" Regina whispered.

Emma smiled wide and brought her hand up to Regina's, "It's always been real… I'm gonna push play now… Idgie's gonna grow up and the movie's really gonna start." She said as she took the remote from Regina's hands.

~0~0~

"Ohp! This is the part that sets it all off!" Emma says excitedly.

"What are you…Oh goodness, I hate this part. She could be killed!" Regina became engrossed with the movie.

_Here you are Madame, this is for you._

_Wh-why did you do that you could have been killed._

"Have you seen this movie?" Emma gave her a sideways glance.

"Yes of course! I've seen most Oscar winners. ShhhhhHH!" Regina waved the blonde off, trying to get her to quiet down.

"Oh right, you're uber classy. I apologize." Emma barely whispered it out.

_It's all right, I do it all the time. I never get stung, honest… Don't be mad at me, Ruth._

_Idgie, I'm not mad at you._

_No foolin'? Is it bad what I did?_

_No._

_I thought I might be crazy or something…_

_No, no. No, I've heard there are people that can charm bees. I've just never seen it done before today. You're just a bee charmer Idgie Threadgoode. That's what you are: A bee charmer._

"Idgie smiled back at her and looked up into the clear blue sky that reflected in her eyes, and she was as happy as anybody who is in love in the summertime can be." Emma quoted, then made a small noise, "Gah! She is so gonna get laid!"

Regina turned her head slowly to Emma who had at some point sunk even lower into the couch and even closer to her, "Excuse me?"

"That's what the book says after Ruth says that… the movie doesn't convey their obvious lesbianism well… it actually hides it." Emma stated.

"This is a lesbian movie…? This is not a lesbian movie. It's a movie about strong frienship…" Regina looked up at her surprised.

"Strong friendship is what the people in Hollywood say when they don't want it cast off into the pile of lesbianism and will then become a cult classic and rejected by the mainstream…"

Regina shook her head, "I should have known. You don't like this movie because it's good, you like it to seduce women with." She rolled her eyes and moved to sit up, but Emma quickly wrapped her arm around her middle.

"No, I don't... Okay, I've done that twice." She looked down ashamed, "But in my defense I did think I was in love with both of them, but I didn't know what the word meant until I met you, okay?" She gave the brunette a pleading look, "Please… Just watch it. You're going to love it when you see all the stuff you didn't before… You already do." Emma's eyes twinkled a little bit, knowingly.

"I…" Regina sighed, "Fine." She lay back down. Emma lay all the way down behind her, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting comfy." Emma told her in her smart-ass way, "Besides, now I can whisper to you all the juicy parts that you're not going to be able to see without my input."

"You really think I'm that dense?"

"No, I really thought that you would humor me." Emma stared down at her.

Regina smirked and turned back to the movie.

"This is a juicy part too…Ruth's birthday. You like Idgie's attire? You know… Graham gave me a tie when he named me deputy…" Emma whispered in her ear.

Regina gasped when Ruth kissed Idgie, "Calm down, Mayor…She just told her she was marrying a dude… it was a farewell…"

"This is a horrible movie." Regina said, "You know…for this hidden lesbianism you speak of."

"That's why you read the book and use your imagination on top of it…" Emma waggled her brows up and down quickly. This made Regina smile, "I love it when you do that." Emma whispered out.

"Do what?"

"Smile."

Regina turned back to the movie and couldn't help but let her smile grow, then her face quickly went to pity, "Awww, she watched from afar…"

~0~0~

_Tell me… do you have a fella yet?_

"No, I'm…kind of in love with you. Is my lesbianism not obvious by the way I dress? I thought I was a 50-footer…"

"Emma!" Regina scolded.

"You just called my by my first name…" Emma grinned at her.

Regina suddenly found the threading on the couch very interesting, "So I did…"

"You're not putting up blocks anymore…" Emma whispered, "You're gonna let me aren't you?"

Regina said nothing and looked back to the movie. Emma smiled wide and pulled the older woman closer to her front.

"You know if for some unknown reason you got slapped around, I wouldn't listen after you told me to turn around…I'd fucking kill the rat bastard then and there… wouldn't even need my gun."

"My, my Sherriff…glad to know you have my best interest at heart…"

"You know, according to our son, I might have just said I'd kill my own father for you…"

"You wouldn't kill your father for me." Regina said in a low tone, "You won't kill your father for me if somehow you found him and somehow my pain was his fault…"

"Whose fault is your pain?"

"According to our son, your mother." Regina turned back to watch the movie.

Emma leaned forward, "I'm not gonna kill my parents for you… I will kill men they send after you if they ever get their memories back."

Regina turned on her back, "You believe him?"

"How can I not? I mean…look at everyone's alternate identities? Really? We couldn't have come up with something better for Red Riding Hood than Ruby?" Emma looked at her and tightened her hold, knowing Regina was going to get up, "I know you killed Graham too…"

"Watch your words, Sherriff Swan."

"Regina… I'm not going to arrest you or anything, his death was already ruled 'natural'…" Emma stared into her eyes, "I can't explain it, but ever since I've fallen completely in love with you, and ever since you started having feelings that you won't even admit to yourself for me…I've been seeing things. Seeing what my parents did to you, what you did to my parents…to the town, and yes to Graham, but I've also seen the person you were before any of the labeling of 'evil' and the person you are now…" She moved her hand from Regina's body and moved it up to her face, "I'll go all Disney style Pocahontas and throw myself down over you so that Powhatan and Kocoum can't kill you…" Regina had no words and Emma knew that, "Watch the movie, Your Majesty." Emma whispered as she settled back down behind her.

~0~0~

_Well, Ruth had a baby. She named him Buddy. Buddy Jr. And Papa went out and borrowed money so Ruth and Idgie could start a café, the Whistle Stop Café._

"You know, in the book, Idgie's dad told her that she was now responsible for both Ruth and the baby… she was responsible for a family is what we're supposed to read." Emma said.

"What we're supposed to read?"

"Yeah…reading between the lines…I'm good at that." She winked down at the mayor.

~0~0~

"Mmm." Emma said…more like grunted as she looked at the flashes of food on display in the kitchen.

"Sherriff?" Regina looked at the blonde hovering over her in the corner of her eyes.

"Shh." Emma shushed watching the screen, "This is the part that's supposed to be them making love…Jon Avnet even said so in the bonus features."

"Jon Avnet?"

"The director. He said that he wanted this scene to be them making love without actually making love and if the audience doesn't interpret that or something akin, then it is just a silly scene." Emma whispered and looked down at Regina. She leaned in dangerously close, "It's not just a silly scene."

~0~0~

_Promise me you won't do anything crazy no matter what._

_Me?...Not me._

"You remind me of Idgie a little bit."

"Yes, we both have blonde hair, strut, and our names start and end with vowels…" Emma looked at Regina, "You remind me of Ruth…you both have brown hair, brown eyes and your names start with 'R'..but that's where the comparisons stop. You are not demure nor do you hold the best congeniality." Regina gave her a warning look, "I don't mean it in a bad way…You're just… You're like the Sugarbakers…Julia in particular, but without the accent." Emma gave her a wink and a smile.

Regina reached up and touched Emma's cheeks, "You take risks… I don't want you to take risks."

Emma tried to brush it off at first, "The only risks I've taken since I got here were ones for you and for Henry," She thought for a moment, "…and the risks I took before I got here…led me here."

"Promise me _you_ won't do anything crazy…no matter what."

"Me?...Not me." Emma said with the same twinkle in her eye that Idgie did on screen.

~0~0~

_Right now I don't know what to believe._

_Believe me when I tell you I don't want you to move out._

"You know…I don't think she's as 'settled as she ever hoped to be'…I think she wanted more." Regina turned and looked at Emma who had taken to running her fingers through Regina's hair and up and down her side and arm. All Emma could do was smile and nod.

~0~0~

_Face it lady, we're younger and faster._

_Tawanda!_

…

_Face it girls, I'm older and I have more insurance._

Regina was laughing…genuinely laughing, "Ironically Sherriff Swan, the best part of this movie is not any of this love story you've introduced me to."

"Now, now. I wouldn't say that. I would say, yes, Kathy Bates has the funny scenes, but the best?" Emma gave her a look and they listened to the next couple lines while looking at each other.

_God! Are you trying to kill me?_

_If I was gonna kill ya, I'd use my hands._

"Or a sledgehammer…she also has the more ironic part…" Regina gave her a questioning look, "Misery…" She gave her an odd look, then started making fun of her, "I thought you'd seen Oscar winners."

"I said _most_!" Regina said pointed her finger at Emma's face.

"Keep that finger in my face and I'll bite it."

Regina raised her brow and kept her finger in place, challenging her, and Emma bit that finger.

"Ow!" The brunette slapped Emma's face lightly with her free hand.

"I told you I was gonna bite…" Emma said and burrowed back behind Regina then pointed at the screen. They saw Grady tell Idgie just how stubborn she was as she walked down the road and Ruth walk out of the café and reach for her hand, think better of it then ran her fingers through her hair as they walked, "That's gonna be us… tomorrow." Emma looked at the mayor and grinned wide, "Except, I won't let you hesitate…I'll grab your hand."

~0~0~

_Well that was just a lie._

_I know that. Fool. Tell me anyway. Tell me the story._

…

_It's alright, honey. Let her go. Let her go. You know Miss Ruth was a lady. And a lady always knows… when to leave._

"My God…" Emma started, but had to take a breath so she wouldn't cry at the damn movie, "And neither Fannie nor the 90s let them actually show the world how they felt. We all had to read between the lines...which as I've said already and as you _well_ know, I'm pretty damn good at…" She gave the mayor a pointed look, "We have to see Idgie's pain from a distance because they wouldn't let us see the real relationship..."

"Maybe they did it this way so it could be up for interpretation."

"Yes, but it shouldn't be. They loved each other, it shouldn't be up for interpretation.. It shouldn't be either everyone sees what they want to see, whether it's a strong friendship—the conservatives like to say that…and you—well, the conservatives like to say that... Or they see what it really was because people aren't that dense..." She looked up at Regina.

Regina shrugged and looked back at the screen, but she didn't really watch the movie. She listened to Emma.

"It was a relationship. Idgie was a wild child...Ruth tamed her. Idgie fell for her and kept falling. She rescued her from the evil that took over her life..." Regina now turned sharply to look at Emma. Emma grinned a small grin and continued, "Oh. So you are listening. Does any of this sound at least a little bit familiar to you?" By this point, Emma was looking down at the mayor. She was on her side against the couch's back and Regina was on her back looking up at Emma.

All the brunette did was nod a very, very small, fragile nod.

Emma stared at her with an intensity Regina had never seen from her, or from anyone before, "Are you going to let me in? Do you not see what we have? Do you not see that it's real? That it's right?"

Regina swallowed hard and stared up at Emma, "You're just an Evil Queen Charmer, Emma Swan. That's what you are." She said.

Emma grinned and leaned down. She took Regina's face in her hand, "And she was as happy as anyone in love in a fairytale could be…" She leaned in and kissed the brunette passionately.

They actually made out like rabbits right there on Regina's couch until they were both so tired that they fell asleep…right there on Regina's couch. Neither of their conscious—err, unconscious minds woke them up to tell them that their son would walk in the room the very next morning. No, instead, they both got the best sleep two people could ever hope to get on a couch…that is until the next morning when the thing they should have both remembered walked through the living room to get to the kitchen.

Henry's trek stopped suddenly. He stared straight ahead. Only after a moment of weighing pros and cons did he decide to look at the couch. There he found the most unexpected sight a son of two allegedly straight women could find.

"MOM?" He said completely gob-smacked.

This startled Regina, who had one arm around Emma's waist and was actually laying on the blonde's chest.

"EMMA?"

Emma's eyes shot open and her hold on the brunette tightened in reaction.

They both hurriedly gained their bearings and shot up into sitting positions.

"Henry." The both said at once.

His jaw was dropped. He stared between the two of them and held his hand up when either of them tried to talk, "No." He shook his head and walked back to the stairs and up to his room. He looked at the end of _Once Upon a Time_. Over the last few months pages had been adding themselves, but he didn't think he should tell Emma, or his mom for that matter, until they were ready… They were ready.

He walked back downstairs and threw the book open on their laps. They looked down and saw the words, "The White Knight chose to love the Evil Queen instead of trying to defeat her in battle. And because of that, both the Evil Queen and the White Knight had found their true happy endings to lives that were tortured. Because the Evil Queen let the White Knight in, the Evil Queen just became a Queen. And the White Knight knew she was no hero, she was just in love. And they both got the ultimate _Happily Ever After._" They then looked at the picture to see that the cartoon drawings had changed to photographic images that had yet to be taken. They both looked up at Henry with puzzled expressions.

"So who wants breakfast?"


End file.
